JOIN USCoronavirus: Karnataka govt defines containment zones, procedures to be followed
Perpetual rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in various parts of the state including Bengaluru had prompted the state government last week to define hotspots, cluster and containment zones. Close in the heels of its earlier order, the state government on Friday issued guidelines on definition and procedures to be followed in these zones besides listing out the roles and responsibilities of various departments to contain the further spread of the COVID-19 across Karnataka.
As per the new guidelines issued by the Chief Secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar, the area around the house of the COVID-19 patient can be declared as ‘Containment Zone’ and stringent measures will be put in place to contain the spread of COVID-19.
The activities include banning the movement of people, delivery of all essentials to the doorstep of citizens. The area will continue to remain as containment zone until no COVID-19 positive case is reported for the next 28-days from the same area. All the primary and secondary contacts within the containment area will strictly under home quarantine.
Interestingly, the nature of the ‘area’ to be demarcated as containment area varies from place to place according to the circular. “If a COVID-19 positive case is found in an apartment complex, then the entire block or apartment tower will be declared a containment zone. If it is a single block apartment, then the entire apartment complex will be declared as containment zone. Similarly, if the COVID-19 patient is found in an independent house or villa, the 100 mtrs radius area including the street on which the patient house is located will be declared as Containment zone,” the circular stated. In the cases of slums in urban localities, the entire slum will be declared as containment zone.
Further, surrounding the Containment Zone, a ‘buffer zone’ will also be created by including the area within 7 km radius from the containment zone. “In urban areas, the officials can restrict it to 5 kms and put in place increased surveillance activities and adhere to social distancing rule across the buffer zone,” the order explained.
A Commander to monitor the containment area
Following the declaration of a containment area in Bengaluru, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has to appoint an executive magistrate or a Class-I officer as Commander with all magistrate powers to control the activities in the area. A command centre will be set up outside the containment area with special squads to cater to the requirement of the people especially in providing emergency medical care to pregnant women and cardiac patients.
As per the directions, the police will seal the entire area geographically on a permanent basis by setting up a barrier and check posts. “No person from the containment area shall be allowed to come out of the house and every containment zone will have only one entry and exit points. No private vehicle will be allowed to enter in or out of the area. The police must also make use of technology to enforce the seal down orders,” the directive explained. The health officials must identify the primary and secondary contacts in the area and put them under house quarantine besides monitoring them constantly for any symptoms of COVID-19.